Let me say right from the beginning that this article has a bit of an odd twist to it. I’m writing it about a specific weightlifter, but it’s not an interview or something like that. Actually, this gal doesn’t even know I’m writing this about her. I guess it’ll be a little surprise when she sees it.
This is about a Catalyst Athletics weightlifter named Alyssa...... Continue reading

Believe it or not, I’m gonna show you how your iPhone is connected to your snatch technique problems. You don’t believe me? Fine, keep reading
Your iPhone (or Android or whatever you have) is incredible. Just think for a second about how much stuff it can do. You can talk to people, text people (which is more fun than talking to them), take pictures, record videos, watch YouTu...... Continue reading

There are things that come and go quickly in training, and there are those that stick around for the long haul. The former are usually the shiny, exciting new tricks that never actually work the way the pusher promised. The latter tends to be simple, unglamorous, boring, utilitarian work that actually produces results. Pre-workout foam rolling fits into this latter category for me.
There ...... Continue reading

I’m on Facebook quite a bit, and I’m friends with hundreds of weightlifters. This means a lot of lifting videos pop up on my home page every day. People post videos of the big lifts they do in competition, or the gym, etc. Many of you are on FB or Instagram, so you probably see plenty of these too, right?
I like watching them, even if they’re not from big national or int...... Continue reading

Hang snatches and cleans are handy variations of the classic lifts, but there are also an extensive number of variations of lifts from the hang, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Following is a list of hang positions used for the snatch and clean with their definitions, purposes, benefits and drawbacks.
Just off the Floor
This would be the hang position used in a ...... Continue reading

Once again, my telepathic powers are working in turbo overdrive, because I know what many of you spend a lot of time thinking about.
You put a lot of time and effort into making sure your body is primed and ready for training on a daily basis. I’m specifically talking about how we all try to take care of the various things that can make or break us when we come to the gym and attack...... Continue reading

One of the most common questions we get at Catalyst Athletics is how to modify a program to work around an injury. It can be frustrating, and I’ve seen a lot of people give up on training altogether in response to an injury, but there is nearly always a way to continue training in a way that will allow you to improve something you need to work on while allowing the injury to heal. Depending ...... Continue reading

When beginners start weightlifting, they don’t know what will or will not work for them, so it is important to start them with standard technique progressions and programming. Someone who cooks for the first time should follow a recipe, and a new weightlifter should follow a standard recipe that has been laid out and proven to work for beginners.
A coach is extremely important for a...... Continue reading

If you’re an athlete, you’re looking for information that will improve your training. If you’re a coach, you’re looking for information that will improve your program and the way you develop your athletes.
Can we all agree that your daily attitude in the gym is hugely important to your success as both an athlete and coach? I hope so. Programming, technique, etc&hel...... Continue reading

Since the elimination of the press from weightlifting competition after the 1972 Olympics, its place in the training of weightlifters has become somewhat unclear and certainly a point of contention. The questions are pretty obvious: Is the press still a valuable training exercise for weightlifting in its modern biathlon format? If so, how should it be performed and programmed, and who should be us...... Continue reading